The invention relates to television entertainment systems for providing television programming to consumer homes. More particularly, the invention relates to a set top terminal for use with a program delivery system with menu selection of programs.
Advances in television entertainment have been primarily driven by breakthroughs in technology. In 1939, advances on Vladmir Zworykin""s picture tube provided the stimulus for NBC to begin its first regular broadcasts. In 1975, advances in satellite technology provided consumers with increased programming to homes.
Many of these technology breakthroughs have produced inconvenient systems for consumers. One example is the ubiquitous three remote control home, having a separate and unique remote control for the TV, cable box and VCR. More recently, technology has provided cable users in certain parts of the country with 100 channels of programming. This increased program capacity is beyond the ability of many consumers to use effectively. No method of managing the program choices has been provided to consumers.
Consumers are demanding that future advances in television entertainment, particularly programs and program choices, be presented to the consumer in a user friendly manner. Consumer preferences. instead of technological breakthroughs, will drive the television entertainment market for at least the next 20 years. As computer vendors have experienced a switch from marketing new technology in computer hardware to marketing better useability, interfaces and service, the television entertainment industry will also experience a switch from new technology driving the market to consumer useability driving the market.
Consumers want products incorporating new technology that are useful, and will no longer purchase new technology for the sake of novelty or status. Technological advances in sophisticated hardware are beginning to surpass the capability of the average consumer to use the new technology. Careful engineering must be done to make entertainment products incorporating new technology useful and desired by consumers.
In order for new television entertainment products to be successful, the products must satisfy consumer demands. TV consumers wish to go from limited viewing choices to a variety of choices, from no control of programming to complete control. Consumers wish to advance from cumbersome and inconvenient television to easy and convenient television and keep costs down. Consumers do not wish to pay for one hundred channels when due to lack of programming information, they seldom, if ever, watch programming on many of these channels.
The concepts of interactive television, high definition television and 300 channel cable systems in consumer homes will not sell if they are not packaged, delivered and presented in a useable fashion to consumers. The problem is that TV programming is not being delivered and presented to consumers in a user friendly manner.
Consumers are already being bombarded with programming options, numerous xe2x80x9cfreexe2x80x9d cable channels, subscription cable channels and pay-per-view choices. Any further increase in TV entertainment choices, without a user friendly presentation and approach, will likely bewilder viewers with a mind-numbing array of choices.
The TV industry has traditionally marketed and sold its programs to consumers in bulk, such as continuous feed broadcast and long-term subscriptions to movie channels. The TV industry has been unable to sell its programming in large quantities on a per unit basis, such as the ordering of one program. Consumers prefer a unit sales approach because it keeps costs down and allows the consumer to be more selective in their viewing.
In addition, viewership fragmentation, which has already begun, will increase. Programming not presented in a user friendly manner will suffer with a decrease in viewership and revenue.
What is needed is a system which can deliver and present television programming through a user friendly interface which allows the consumer to easily select from among the many program choices.
What is needed is a set top converter that provides a user friendly interface for subscribers to access television programs.
What is needed is a set top converter that allows users to easily navigate through hundreds of programming choices using on-screen menus.
What is needed is a set top converter that allow subscribers to select a program from among hundreds of choices without a television viewing guide.
What is needed is a method that allows efficient access to hundreds of television programming options.
What is needed is hardware that provides an upgrade capability allowing the use of existing set top converter technology in advanced program delivery systems.
What is needed is technology that upgrades the functionality of existing set top converters.
What is needed is a set top converter that provides an upstream communications capability between the set top converter and cable headend.
What is needed is a set top converter that provides a capability of generating menus for display.
What is needed is a set top converter that provides a simple way to select a program from a menu.
What is needed is a set top converter that provides pay-per-view type program access in the same system as specialty channel and broadcast television access.
What is needed is a set top converter that allows users to subscribe on-screen to specialty channels.
What is needed is a set top converter that monitors subscriber viewing choices for statistical purposes.
What is needed is a set top converter that provides on-screen billing information to subscribers.
What is needed is a set top converter that provides sophisticated on-screen television menus which can incorporate still video or moving video.
What is needed is a set top converter that provides a capability of scaling and redirecting video for menus.
What is needed is a set top converter that provides a capability of using a program signal with a split screen video for menus. The present invention is addressed to fulfill these needs.
The present invention is a set top converter box or terminal for a television program delivery system. More specifically, the present invention is an advanced set top converter box that acts as a terminal in the viewer home. The set top terminal is a key component of a digital cable television delivery system. The set top terminal provides for menu generation and menu selection of television programming.
The set top terminal is the portion of the program delivery system that resides in the home of a subscriber. The set top terminal has input and output ports that enable it to communicate with other local and remote devices. In the preferred embodiment, the set top terminal has an input port that is capable of receiving information from a cable headend. In addition, the unit has at least two output ports which provide communications from the set top terminal to a television, VCR or other electronic component in the viewer home. Also, the set top terminal contains a phone jack which can be used for maintenance, trouble shooting, reprogramming and additional customer features. The set top terminal may contain stereo/audio output terminals and a satellite dish input port.
Functionally, the set top terminal is the last component in the delivery system chain. In the preferred embodiment, the set top terminal receives compressed program and control signals from the cable headend (or, in some cases, directly from the operations center). After the set top terminal receives the individually compressed program and control signals, the signals are demultiplexed, decompressed, converted to analog signals (if necessary) and either placed in local storage (from which the menu template may be created), executed immediately, or sent directly to the television screen.
After processing certain signals received from the cable headend, the set top terminal is able to store an array of menu templates for creating menus that are displayed on a subscriber""s television. Menu templates are created and sent to the set top terminal for storage. A microprocessor uses the control signals received from the operations center or cable headend to generate the menu templates for storage. Each menu template is stored in volatile memory in the set top terminal. When the set top terminal receives template information it may demultiplex the program control signals received from the cable headend into three primary parts: video, graphics and text. Each menu template represents a different portion of a whole menu, such as a menu background, television logo, cursor highlight overlay, or other miscellaneous components needed to build a menu. The menu templates may be deleted or altered using control signals received from the operations center or cable headend.
Once the menu templates have been stored in memory. the set top terminal can generate the appropriate menus. In the preferred embodiment, the basic menu format information is stored in memory located within the set top terminal so that the microprocessor may locally access the information from the set top terminal instead of from an incoming signal. The microprocessor next generates the appropriate menus from the menu templates and the other menu information stored in memory. The set top terminal then displays specific menus on the subscriber""s television screen that correspond to the inputs the subscriber selects. If the subscriber selects a specific program from a menu, the set top terminal determines on which channel the program is being shown, demultiplexes and extracts the single channel transmitted from the cable headend.
In addition to menu information, the set top terminal may also store text transmitted from the cable headend or the operations center. The text may inform the subscriber about upcoming events, billing and account status, new subscriptions, or other relevant information. The text will be stored in an appropriate memory location depending on the frequency and the duration of the use of the textual message. The set top terminal can also support on-line data base services, interactive multi-media services, access to digital radio channels, and other services.
In the simplest embodiment, available converter boxes such as those manufactured by General Instruments or Scientific Atlanta, may be modified and upgraded to perform the functions of a set top terminal. The preferred upgrade is a circuit card with a microprocessor which is electronically connected to the converter box.
It is an object of the invention to provide a user friendly interface for subscribers to access television programs.
It is an object of the invention to allow users to easily navigate through hundreds of programming choices using on-screen menus.
It is an object of this invention to allow subscribers to select a program from among hundreds of choices without a television viewing guide.
It is an object of this invention to efficiently access hundreds of television programming options.
It is an object of this invention to provide an upgrade capability allowing the use of existing set top converter technology in an advanced program delivery system.
It is an object of this Invention to upgrade the functionality of existing set top converters.
It is an object of this invention to provide an upstream communications capability between the set top converter and cable headend.
It is an object of this invention to provide a set top terminal capable of generating menus for display.
It is an object of this invention to provide a way to select a program from a menu with the push of one button.
It is an object of this invention to provide pay-per-view type program access in the same system as specialty channel and broadcast television access.
It is an object of this invention to allow users to subscribe on-screen to specialty channels.
It is an object of this invention to monitor subscriber viewing choices for statistical purposes.
It is an object of this invention to provide on-screen billing information to subscribers.
It is an object of this invention to provide sophisticated on-screen television menus which can incorporate still video or moving video.
It is an object of this invention to provide a set top terminal capable of scaling and redirecting video for menus.
It is an object of this invention to provide a set top terminal capable of using a program signal with a split screen video for menus.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon review of the following description, the attached drawings and appended claims.